Hearing loss can happen anytime in your life. It can be present at birth or acquired later in life and can affect both children and adults. This occurs when a part of the auditory system is impaired or damaged. Sometimes it affects either one or both ears which gets better or worse over time. Sometimes this happens before or after a person learns to talk. There are also times that hearing loss happens quickly or it worsens as time passes by. So, let us differentiate the types of hearing loss, its causes, and treatments to consider. Sensorineural Hearing Loss: This is usually permanent nerve damage of the inner ear. There are numerous causes like aging, constant exposure to loud noises, trauma to the head or injuries that affect the auditory system, viruses or inner ear diseases, and tumors. This can also be genetic which means it can be passed down from parents to children. One can benefit from either using a hearing device or undergo a cochlear implant. Conductive Hearing Loss: Common causes of this are malformation of the structures of the ears, infections of the middle ear, eardrum, ear canal; allergies, tumors, impacted earwax, or foreign objects that are present in the ear. Conductive hearing loss can either be permanent or temporary. If there are infections, antibiotics or antifungal medications are given for treatment. Sometimes surgical treatment can improve the hearing of an individual with conductive hearing loss; other than that, hearing devices also play a great role in a person suffering from hearing loss. Mixed Hearing Loss: This is a combination of sensorineural hearing loss and conductive hearing loss. Since conductive hearing loss can be temporary, this is typically treated first. It is of great importance to really give emphasis on treating hearing loss because if left untreated, it can have a tremendous impact on your life.